Boiler-tube expander.



O. H. WIEDBKE BOILER TUBE EXPANDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHE ET 1.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

0. H. WIEDEKE.

BOILER TUBE EXPANDER.

1,007,01 7. Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W v c zz d lmz OTTO -H. WIEDEKE, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BOILER-TUBE EXPANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application filed May 2'7, 1911. Serial No. 629,854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'r'ro H. WIEDEKE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at- Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Tube Expanders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specificatiom This invention relates to new and useful improvements in boiler tube expanders.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this type in which the rollers may be easily removed and replaced, and which is, at the same time, of maximum strength.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of guard that is easily adjusted to accommodate the varying lengths of the protruding tubes.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, in order to provide for the removal and replacing of the expanding rollers, the body or cage has been made in separate parts to the more or less detriment of the implement. The present invention provides for a body or cage in one piece, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved tube expander in position within a boiler tube shown in section; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 0 c of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is a section on the line a a of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line b b of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inner end of the expander; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the mandrel.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the body or roller cage which is provided with a longitudinal mandrel opening 2, which receives the mandrel 3, and with pockets 4 which receive the expanding rollers 5. The cage or body is adapted to be inserted within the boiler tube 6, which is to be expanded against the open ing in the boiler head 7. The end of the mandrel 3, which engages the expanding rollers 5, is tapered and adapted to expand the said rollers when said mandrel 3 is rotated and pushed inwardly against said rollers. Tools of this type are provided with different forms of rollers 5, and to allow the rollers to be easily removed and others inserted, and to prevent the rollers dropping inwardly from the cage, 1 when the mandrel 3 is withdrawn the said cage is constructed as follows. The roller pockets 4 are provided with inwardly lying longitudinal recesses 8, which receive pins or elongated members 9. These pins lie parallel with the rollers 5 and prevent said rollers from falling in when the mandrel is removed. They 7 may be held in position by any well known means, and may take the form of a screw, as is shown in the drawings. The pins or elongated members 9 are inserted in the cage through openings extending from the face 10, with the heads 11 thereof flush with said face. It will be seen from Fig. 4, that the said members 9 reduce the inner widths of the roller pockets and thus prevent the rollers from falling inwardly in the cage when the mandrel is withdrawn. The rollers 5 will be prevented at all times from falling outwardly from the pockets by projecting the edges 12 of the pockets slightly inward to reduce the outer edge of the sides of the pockets 4 to less than the diameter of the rollers. When it is desired to remove said rollers, the mandrel 3 and pins 9 are withdrawn from the cage. The said rollers may then be removed through the axial opening 2. It will be seen that, in a tube expander as thus constructed, the rollers may be easily extracted, while at the same time the cage is made in a single piece and is therefore of the greatest strength.

To hold the expander in its proper position within a tube 6, a guard is provided which engages the outer end of the tube. The ends of the boiler tubes 6 extend beyond the header or tube sheet 7 for variable distances, the guard is therefore made adjustable as follows. The cage 1 is provided with an exteriorly threaded extension 13 adapted to receive an interiorly threaded sleeve 14. The extension 13 is provided with a groove 15 along one side thereof, which receives the inner end of a pin 16 which may be threaded to hold the same in position. The sleeve 14 may be adjusted on the threaded extension 13 by rotating the same, and may also be locked in an adjusted position by the threaded pin 16 and the groove 15. Mounted on said sleeve is a guard 17 adapted to engage the end of the tube 6. The guard 17 is held in position on the sleeve 14 by threaded pins 18 which enter an annular groove 19 in the sleeve 14. By this construction, the expander may rotate relatively to the guard 17, which eliminates friction between the guard and the end of the tube. The outer diameter of the guard 17 is approximately of the same diameter as the tube, thereby allowing the expander to be inserted through the opening in the outer member 20 of the header 7 when the device is used on water tube boilers. In Fig. 1 the tube 6 is extended past the header 7 a maximum distance, and the guard is adjusted to accommodate the same and to bring the rollers at the right position. In Fig. 2 the tube 6 is extended a minimum distance, with the rollers and guard shown in their proper positions.

It will be seen that, in a tube expander as thus constructed, the guard thereof is of simple construction and may be easily manipulated and quickly adjusted; and, as the various port-ions thereof are made of integral annular members, said guard is of maximum strength to meet the heavy work that such an implement is required to do.

lVithout limiting myself to the precise arrangement shown and described, which may be varied within the scope of the claims, I claim:

1. In a device of the type specified, a

cage having an axial opening extending longitudinally and a series of roller pockets, expanding rollers in said pockets, and detachable means arranged adjacent to the inner terminals of said pockets and reducing the diameters of the pockets at such points, whereby the expanding rollers are maintained in said pockets.

2. In a -device of the type specified, a roller cage having a mandrel opening and a series of roller pockets, rollers in said pockets, and a detachable pin arranged adjacent to the inner terminal of each pocket and reducing the diameter of such parts of said pockets, whereby means are provided for preventing the rollers from becoming displaced, or permitting of their removal.

3. In a device of the type specified, a roller cage having a mandrel opening and roller pockets, and rollers therein, said pockets being each inclosed on one side by a relatively straight Wall which terminates at its outer terminal in a curvature conforming to the contour of the roller, and on its inner side by a curved wall conforming to the contour of the roller and terminating in an inward lying recess, and a pin detachably arranged in said recess and maintaining the roller in said pocket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO H. WIEDEKE.

Witnesses:

MATTHEW SIEBLER, GUSTAV VVIEDEKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

